


Sing-Off

by zzzzzzzo



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Fluff, Karaoke, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-04
Updated: 2014-07-04
Packaged: 2018-02-07 12:10:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1898484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zzzzzzzo/pseuds/zzzzzzzo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Eh!” You flap your arms a little, as if that will help you think of how to describe it. “Well, anyway though, at a karaoke bar you kinda go up on a stage and sing for the other people there. It's tons of fun, I think.” You've actually never been to one, really. You have no idea why that idea popped into your head. “Anyway though, to settle our fight, we're gonna have a sing-off. Whoever gets the loudest applause wins.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sing-Off

**Author's Note:**

> Soo, I asked for Johnkat prompts on Tumblr, and [Charulein](http://charulein.tumblr.com/) sent me the cutest thing: John dragging Karkat to a karaoke bar for a sing-off over a small fight they had but it turns out that Karkat can sing really well? (Is this a good prompt?)  
> Yes, dearie, that is a good prompt. In fact, it is quite possibly the best prompt in the whole wide world. Thank you so much! Enjoy~ :)

 “Okay, that's it!”

You rise, slamming your hands on the table as you do. Karkat jumps, eyes slightly widening as he looks up at you. You don't blame him. You guys have arguments over what movie to watch all the time, of course, but they're always minor. You've certainly never stood with a proclamation like that before.

“What?” he asks, voice sullen and wary.

“We're settling this,” you say, grim and resolute. “The old fashioned way.”

He blinks. Raises an eyebrow at you, torn between perplexed and irritated. “And what, pray tell, _is_ the old fashioned w-”

“Come with me!” You cut him off decisively, grabbing his wrist and dragging him to his feet. “We're going _out._ ” He opens his mouth to protest. Stares at you for a moment, brows furrowed. Finally he sighs and shakes his head, feet dragging as he follows you. You smirk. By now he clearly knows that once you get an idea in your head, there's nothing really he can do to stop you, no matter how much he complains.

 

\---

 

“Where in fuck are you taking me?”

...That doesn't mean he isn't going to complain, of course.

You roll your eyes, wriggling in your seat in anticipation. “You'll see when we get there, jeez. Just be patient dude.”

“Um, haha, hell no. I am a lot of things, but patient is not one of them. Especially when I am being taken off to fuck knows where with you being as cryptic as fucking, I don't know, Samara Morgan in _In Which For Teenaged Trolls All Die Within One Week Of Watching A Disturbing Video Tape After Receiving A Phone Call, And The Lead Midblood Journalist Begins To Investigate Their Deaths With The Help Of Research And The Young And Mysterious Male Who Resides With Her, And Soon After Viewing The Tape She Begins To Experience Strange Symptoms Such As Nosebleeds And Finds That By Sharing The Tape With Another She May Escape It's Curse, Later She Attempts To Help The Culprit Of These Mysterious Murders But Learns From The Young Male That She Was Not Supposed To And Barely Manages To Save His Life, Including Several Death Scenes And A Sense Of Horror Throughout.”_

 _“_...Dude, is that the troll version of _The Ring?_ ”

“I have no fucking clue, what, do you think I'm suddenly an expert on your vastly inferior human movies, with titles shorter than how long you last during love-making, which is saying something.”

“Wow, that was a low blow. I am awesome at sex and you know it.”

“Whatever makes you feel better about yourself, lovenut.”

“Oh, fuck off. We're here anyway.” Karkat blinks and glances around his surroundings, raising his eyebrows at the neon sign glowing on the building you're parked in front of.

“What the hell is a... ka-ra-o-kay?”

You too busy giggling over his pronunciation for a moment for the implications of his question to hit you. When you realize, you pause. “Wait... trolls don't have karaoke?”

“Well gee, maybe if you told me what the fuck it was I would know! What, am I supposed to guess what it is and tell you whatever word we might have for it, assuming that is not something so dickshittingly stupid that we don't have it at all?

“Oh, right. Um. I dunno how to describe it really. Hm. It's like, singing and stuff, I guess.”

“...Singing and stuff.”

“Eh!” You flap your arms a little, as if that will help you think of how to describe it. “Well, anyway though, at a karaoke bar you kinda go up on a stage and sing for the other people there. It's tons of fun, I think.” You've actually never been to one, really. You have no idea why that idea popped into your head. “Anyway though, to settle our fight, we're gonna have a sing-off. Whoever gets the loudest applause wins.”

“...That's how you want to pick a movie.”

“Yup!”

“For fucks sake! If I knew you were going to go through such a painstaking process for it I would've just let you pick the goddamn movie!” He pauses. “...No I wouldn't. But _still._ ”

“Dude, there's no use fighting it. We are doing it man. Where-”

“Finish that reference and you're going to have a little trouble singing considering that your vocal cords will have been shoved in one ear and out the other.”

“Fair enough.” You chuckle as you unbuckle (heheheyyy, that rhymed) your seatbelt. “Let's do it!” He groans heavily, but complies. This is going to be awesome.

 

\---

 

You take a deep breath from where you're standing on stage. Not cause you're nervous. You've never been one to get stage fright. It's just to prepare your vocals.

You can see Karkat from where you stand. Hunched in his seat, scowling heavily. A small glass of water in his hand since he doesn't drink. Everything about him screams “I don't want to be here!” but hey, that's what he gets for not just letting you pick the damn movie. You wave at him a little. He flips you off. But. His grumpiness isn't really all. You can tell he's nervous. He doesn't really like being surrounded by strangers, but he's here anyway, in the closest seat to the stage he could get. Karkat actually does get stage fright, and you know his stomach is probably doing flips right now, but he still grudgingly signed up to sing after you do. He's still there for you. Warmth seems to feel you up, and your smile softens, eyes only for him.

You then burst into the most passionate rendition of _How Do I Live_ in existence. He glares at you the whole time.

Did you mention that you cannot sing? Like, at all? Your voice cracks in all the worst places, and you're pretty sure half the people in the building leave during your number. That doesn't stop you from owning the stage, of course, dancing some and grabbing the mike and even yanking your jacket off to toss it at a _very pissed off_ Karkat. You might not be very good, but hey, you put your _soul_ into it, and that's what really matters.

When you finish you take a bow to the complete lack of cheering, and trot over to sit by Karkat, a bit sweaty from exertion. He opens his mouth, looking about ready to strangle you with your discarded coat.

Instead, a worker calls his name to go sing and he freezes. Aww. Poor guy.

You pat him on the shoulder, speaking softly. “Hey, good luck buddy. It'll be okay. Or, if you want,” you start to grin, “I could go in your stead?”

That snaps him out of it, and he bares his teeth at you. “Fuck that, even a goose with laryngitis could do better.” He stands, swallowing heavily, and all you can see as he gets on the stage is how much his hands are shaking.

He takes a deep breath, gripping the microphone like it's some soft of anchor. The beginning sequence of _Hey,_ _Soul Sister_ plays, and Karkat sings. And.

And.

_wow_

The room goes quiet. Heads turn.

So, it turns out Karkat is a good singer? But, like, really good. Nic Cage's acting level of good.

His voice is sort of throaty, and it resonates. A bit high kinda, but low too in a way. Absolutely beautiful. And it conveys so much _emotion_ , how does he even do that? You can literally hear the feelings, feel them vibrate through the air and go into you, though whether it's through your ears or your soul you don't even know.

...Okay, that was corny. But still. He is. Really good.

You're absolutely transfixed, and the best/worst part is that his eyes are on you the whole time, and it's so clear who he's talking about, and he can see how smitten you are, he _knows_ it, the smug bastard, but his eyes are oddly soft, and he starts to smile throughout, gaining confidence, sweet and talented and beautiful. You're surrounded by people, and yet you only see each other.

You forget to clap when he finishes. The booming applause of the others seems to fade out. He walks to you, grinning, toothy and catlike, satisfied. You smile back in spite of yourself, your argument all but forgotten.

 

\---

 

You don't end up watching a movie when you get home.


End file.
